About Kate
Mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh has been praised as “utterly convincing dramatically, and musically superlative” (Seen and Heard International). Recently, Kate won first place in the 10th annual Mildred C. Miller International Vocal Competition, hosted by Pittsburgh Festival Opera.
This spring, Kate tours with conductor and pianist Alan Johnson in their concert tour, “a Space for Hope.” Central IL towns include Streator, Urbana, Decatur, and Bloomington. They’ll perform at Opera America’s Marc A. Scorca Hall on May 2nd in New York City.
Earlier this season, Kate sang “Naomi” in Dr. Philip Hagemann’s one-act opera Ruth, a co-production between the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Pegasus Opera Company, and the University of Southern Indiana. Additionally, she sang on the song cycle “Yesterday is Poetry” for soprano, mezzo, and piano. She returned to Evansville to solo with the Philharmonic Orchestra on their “Evening of Beloved Arias and Songs.”
She had the distinct pleasure of debuting the lead mezzo role of “The Dough” in composer/librettist Rachel J. Peter’s Companionship in both the world premiere with Fort Worth Opera, and the orchestral premiere with Virginia Arts Festival-John Duffy Institute for New Music.
Other leading roles include two of Rossini’s heroines with Winter Opera St. Louis in L’italiana in Algeri (Isabella) and La Cenerentola (Angelina), “Hansel” in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (Stockton Opera), “Ariodante” in Handel’s Ariodante (Cincinnati Chamber Opera) and “Fanny Price” in the American premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park (Indianapolis Opera).
Her career in opera was initiated when she placed third in the Chicago Regional MONC Auditions, hosted by NYC’s Metropolitan Opera. Since then, other career highlights have included performing as a soloist at Carnegie Hall upon winning the Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition, winning the Harold Haugh Light Opera Vocal Competition, placing second in the Nicholas Z. Loren Vocal Competition, hosted by the Holland Chorale, and being awarded the “Grace Keagy Award” by NYC-based Kurt Weill Foundation in their annual Lotte Lenya Foundation.
Tombaugh’s other portrayals include title roles in Handel’s Ariodante and Massenet’s Cinderella, ‘Annie Oakley’ in Irving Berlin’s Annie, Get your Gun, and ‘Mad Margaret’ in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore, among others. She has been a regular soloist with the New Philharmonic, Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, Bach Collegium of Fort Wayne, and BEST Ensemble of Cincinnati, with additional appearances in the ensemble at Chicago Opera Theater and as soloist with the Utah Symphony, Jackson Symphony, Seattle Orchestra, Apollo Chorus, concert:nova, Lexington Philharmonic, and Performance Santa Fe.
Kate trained as a young artist in the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist program, as a Gerdine Artist with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and as a Resident Artist with Utah Opera. Additionally, she was a Stern Fellow with the LA-based Songfest, and performed in the Opera Studio at AIMS in Graz, Austria. She holds a masters degree in voice from University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), and dual undergraduate degrees in english literature and vocal performance from Illinois Wesleyan University.
